South Carolina General Assembly
122nd Session, 2017-2018

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Indicates New Matter

H. 5195

STATUS INFORMATION

Concurrent Resolution
Sponsors: Rep. Alexander
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gt\5497cm18.docx

Introduced in the House on April 3, 2018
Introduced in the Senate on April 18, 2018
Adopted by the General Assembly on May 8, 2018

Summary: Reverend Edward Hezekiah Thomas Way named

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    4/3/2018  House   Introduced (House Journal-page 71)
    4/3/2018  House   Referred to Committee on Invitations and Memorial 
                        Resolutions (House Journal-page 71)
   4/17/2018  House   Committee report: Favorable Invitations and Memorial 
                        Resolutions (House Journal-page 2)
   4/18/2018  House   Adopted, sent to Senate (House Journal-page 70)
   4/18/2018  Senate  Introduced (Senate Journal-page 8)
   4/18/2018  Senate  Referred to Committee on Transportation 
                        (Senate Journal-page 8)
    5/3/2018  Senate  Recalled from Committee on Transportation 
                        (Senate Journal-page 1)
    5/8/2018  Senate  Adopted, returned to House with concurrence 
                        (Senate Journal-page 82)

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

4/3/2018
4/17/2018
5/3/2018

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

RECALLED

May 3, 2018

H. 5195

Introduced by Rep. Alexander

S. Printed 5/3/18--S.

Read the first time April 18, 2018.

            

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

TO REQUEST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NAME THE PORTION OF NORTH MCQUEEN STREET IN THE CITY OF FLORENCE FROM ITS INTERSECTION WITH WEST LUCAS STREET TO ITS INTERSECTION WITH WEST SUMTER STREET "REVEREND EDWARD HEZEKIAH THOMAS WAY" AND ERECT APPROPRIATE MARKERS OR SIGNS ALONG THIS PORTION OF HIGHWAY CONTAINING THIS DESIGNATION.

Whereas, the Reverend Edward Hezekiah Thomas was born on March 15, 1917, the son of the late Tommie and Mary Charles Thomas. He entered eternal life on June 11, 1999. Educated in the public schools of Florence County, he received further training through the Civilian Conservation Corps, the federal public works program established during the Great Depression that put millions of young adults to work; and

Whereas, Reverend Thomas was married to Lillian McCoy and together they were blessed with six children. He was trained for the ministry at the Interdenominational Theological Seminary through Benedict and Morris colleges. He was an assistant pastor at St. Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, assistant and later pastor at Carver Street Baptist Church, ending his ministerial duties as pastor at Central Baptist Church, all in Florence County; and

Whereas, Reverend Thomas devoted his life's work to civic affairs and community involvement. Recognizing that "a voice not connected to a vote is yet silent," he is credited with establishing voter registration drives which led to an influx of African Americans to the polls. He was a staunch supporter of and participant in the Palmetto Voters Association and later the Voter Education Project; and

Whereas, a life member of the NAACP, Reverend Thomas served as president of the Florence chapter during the tumultuous years of desegregation and served as youth advisor to many of the community's young people, who later became influential leaders in the state's Pee Dee area and the nation; and

Whereas, other civic activities were devoted to Morris College and Benedict College alumni associations; Manna House, a non-profit organization that provides food and services to the less fortunate; the Pee Dee Community Action Agency; and the local Boys and Girls Club. Reverend Thomas also served the Florence and Darlington counties' Baptist Educational Singing Convention, the Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention of South Carolina, and the Pee Dee District Baptist Convention; and

Whereas, an astute businessman and state Notary Public, Reverend Thomas was a licensed broker-in-charge for the Middleton Agency, a contractor who built homes throughout Florence County, and a teacher for the community action agency's "Project T-Square," which trained young people in brick masonry and carpentry. He also was a board member of Statewide Homes Foundation, established by the late Reverend I. DeQuincey Newman, a former state senator and field secretary of the South Carolina NAACP, to provide housing for low-income residents; and

Whereas, it is fitting and proper that we pay homage to Reverend Edward Hezekiah Thomas for his dedicated service and contributions to Florence County by naming a portion of North McQueen Street in his honor. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the South Carolina General Assembly request the Department of Transportation name the portion of North McQueen Street in the City of Florence from its intersection with West Lucas Street to its intersection with West Sumter Street "Reverend Edward Hezekiah Thomas Way" and erect appropriate markers or signs along this portion of highway containing this designation.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Department of Transportation.

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This web page was last updated on May 14, 2018 at 10:09 AM